iPhone 5s vs Lumia 925 vs Lumia 1020 camera showdown!

It was only a matter of time before the iPhone 5s camera got put head to head against other camera phones, particularly the Nokia Lumia series. The Lumia 1020 and 925 are both arguably some of the best smartphone cameras on the market. Daniel Rubino over at our sister site, wpCentral, has put all three cameras through their paces and provided a great comparison showing how each camera handles different scenarios in an epic iPhone 5s vs Lumia 925 vs Lumia 1020 camera comparison.

The Lumia 1020 has a staggering 41 megapixel camera and also contains OIS (optical image stabilization), which the iPhone 5s has as well. This should particularly make a difference in lower light settings where motion blur can become more prevalent. Daniels takes a look at all different types of photos including low light, panoramas, and more.

Be sure to jump over to wpCentral to check out the comparison for yourself and to see who, if anyone, came out on top. You can also check out our iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c vs iPhone 5 camera shootout to see how well the iPhone 5s stacks up against previous versions too.

"Unlike some of the larger flagships we’ve reviewed lately, the iPhone 5s doesn’t ship with optical image stabilization (OIS). We’ve seen devices from HTC, LG and Nokia all ship with OIS, and have generally been pleased with the results. It’s not a surprise that the 5s doesn’t come with OIS as it’s largely the same physical platform as the outgoing 5. Still it would be great to see an Apple device ship with OIS. Perhaps on a larger iPhone."

Oh for the love of everything, a 41 megapixel camera on a cell phone is like having a 4k display on a 12" HDTV, except it's worse because of finite file space on phones. I get that it is there to theoretically be able to zoom in on a picture, but 41 megapixels?

16 mb file sizes for that? FFS, no thanks! I get the picture is gorgeous, but having to carry around countless memory cards and not being able to spare the space to have any games or apps.

Oh wait. It's a windows phone, there are no games.

Seriously though, even though the sensor and image quality ARE quite impressive, the trade off isn't.

With all due respect, I don't think you're familiar with the 1020's tech. Let me explain. It actually shoots two photos ("dual shot"): one at 38MP and the other at 5MP. The second image is for sharing and is "normal sized" in terms of space. The 5MP image though is over-sampled from the 38MP image, making it exceptionally high quality as noise is reduced and detail is increased.

With the 38MP photo, people can endlessly crop and edit the photo on the device. With the 5MP ones (around 3MB in size or the equivalent of the 5S's photos) you can post to Instagram, Facebook, email, etc. This dual shot approach is actually quite ingenious as you get the best of both worlds.

Talk with any photographer--pro or hobbyist--and they'll tell you the tech is solid. Combined with full manual controls, including up to 4 second exposures, it allows people to be real creative with the 1020. I will say it is a niche device, but shouldn't people who take a lot of photos have a solution on the market for them as well? If you don't want a 41 MP camera, then you have the Lumia 925 with it's 8.7 MP. Point is, it's good to have a choice.

Regarding space, the device comes with 32 GB of storage while Telefonica versions have 64 GB of storage. Photos are usually around 11 MB in size at full-resolution and to be honest, you're being a little hyperbolic about the space considerations. Unless you plan on keeping thousands of images on your phone, it's not the big of a concern. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to find your theoretical complaint actualized in forums or other outlets for consumers. So you're making a lot of noise about something that is not actually an issue.

Furthermore, with AT&T Locker (50 GB), you can back up your full res photos OTA (Wi-Fi) to the cloud for storage and/or save the 5 MP oversampled images to SkyDrive. I have yet to run out of space on my device with all of my games, music and photos (though obviously, it is possible). For your average user, this is just not an issue.

Have you read the reviews they are not great the only way to transfer pictures on Facebook or text is under the the 5 meg pix and it not that good under the pro it shoots the high end pictures which you have to download on a computer it is slow and takes time to shoot it will not replace a point an shoot camera and it is very heavy . Most reviews say it's really not worth it .

Read our comparison post linked in this article...those ARE the 5 MP oversampled images put up against the 5S and they are more detailed, sharper and more accurate. I really think you have no idea what are talking about.

Very heavy? It's 158 g (5.5 oz). The iPhone 5S is 112 g (3.95 oz). Are you telling us 1.5 ounces is too heavy for you? You sound like someone who has never even seen a 1020 in person and just reads Apple sites. Unless you are bed ridden, no reviews will say it's heavy. Is it heavier than the 5s--yes. Is it significantly heavier? No. Gimme a break.

Here is part of the article Even without the bulky camera, it's a substantial device as far as modern smartphones go. It's not the slimmest or lightest by any means, but it is somehow slightly slimmer and lighter than the Lumia 920.

To give you an idea of its dimensions, this Lumia phone is 130.4mm tall, 71.4mm wide and 10.4mm thick and weighs 158 grams. As you can see, it's pretty wide and bloated by today's smartphone standards.

Aehm.. sorry, but this is only your opinion. For me - it IS significantly heavier. Sound strange, but you feel 20-30 g in your hands, or in your pocket. Just ask any iPhone 5 user, if iPhone 4 is heavier. After some time of use iPhone 5, you will see iPhone 4 as so heavy... And it is only 140 g. So 158 g? Sorry, but in comparison to 112 g is heavy as brick.

Good. Get your tech advice from USA Today and good luck with that. I read their "review" and it was crap, but hey, if you think their "tests" were more in depth than mine, then all the power to you.

Nothing you have said reflects on my findings and if you have never seen or touched a 1020 in person (and I'm guessing that's the case by the things you've said), then you're really being naive.

And for reference, the Lumia 1020 weights 18 pennies heavier than the 5S. Less when you throw on that pretty mandatory case on the 5S to protect it. If that's too heavy for you then you should really think about hitting the gym.

What do we get though for 18 pennies of weight? Xenon flash, Optical Image Stabilization, High Amplitude Audio Capture microphones, 41 MP camera and a 4.5-inch AMOLED display. For some of us, that's worth it.

Actually they are two different reviews actually most reviews are Luke warm . I did have it for 2 weeks as a trial hated it no apps very bugy and it had slow shutter speed if I want a over priced camera that can't hold a stick to a real camera oh just so you know I do take professional pictures so I actually have a 5000 camera I use the camera phone for certain moments . It's not special and a cheap camera beats any camera phone . That thing is bulky and look a shutter speed cnet and tech was not impressed . You can't even use Instagram please . Look I do like the iphone but I also like many androids and maybe one day windows will compete but it's not even in the same ball park . No review was blown away by it . Info this for a living so don't tell me what I know. I'm done with you . All you are is an immature blogger .

Windows does not have Instagram app you can read those reviews no phone will replace a camera read tec review so you window fanboys can defend your toy all you want I did several test and yes I tried that with shutter speed makes no difference enjoy your phone . Yes it does take the best pictures for a camera phone but it's not that much better harder to use bulky in the pocket . For camera phones it's not needed. That thing will never replace a real camera. To use the pro which is the high end to the phone you can't send an email or Facebook you have to down load it . Why would I do all that when I can use a real camera . You window fanboys are the worst . And yes I could find a few good reviews most say pricey for what you get . Enjoy it in a few months no one will care like most window phones

Read what you have written and then see what I've written and then see who is the fanboy. I haven't once dissed the iPhone, but all you are doing is badmouthing the 1020, most of which is factually incorrect.

I'm not defensive, just calling out some really crap arguments. I hate poor logic and uninformed debate.

There are some valid criticisms against the 1020--I know, as I made them in my review. But saying it's "too heavy" and "won't replace a point and shoot" is just unfounded. People don't carry PnS around with them every time they leave the house, but they do grab their phone. The 1020 is a remarkable feat of engineering, though it is a niche device.

If nothing else, Daniel, you come across sounding like an arrogant jerk. You realize it's possible to make your point without doing that, right?

I'm a hobbyist photographer, and I understand enough to know and understand the tech is solid.

As for the size, you have to be kidding. The image size is at least double that of the iPhone pictures, let alone the file size for video. I have 3 gigs of photo spread between some from my DSLR and the rest from my iphone. That was in the span of a week. Someone buying this phone will most likely be an enthusiast, and will also take a ton of pictures, and it's VERY easy to run out. To think that it isn't simply doesn't make sense.

Also, there's zero expandable storage, so the majority of the people will be stuck with a 32gb phone, no way to expand the storage and will require an unlimited plan, which AT&T does not. The sky drive is fine and dandy, but not when you're off at the cabin and don't have Internet, or do have Internet in whether, but it's slow.

Last year I took my camera to take pictures of my kids at their sports day. Between video and pictures over the span of the day, I almost completely filled my 16gb card. If I was away for a few days, that extra size would have required me to pretty much empty everything on my phone and wasting time having to piecemeal my pictures there.

For me, I can just take my iPad and, if need be, siphon everything off. And, thankfully, my iPad's storage isn't almost entirely taken up by the OS.

You are right, it is a niche device that would appeal to a very small section of people. Combine that niche market with the fact that Windows Phone app selection is a ghost town and the phone may only seem marginally heavier to you, 46 grams/1.5oz is not nothing. Try putting an otterbox on your phone and tell me it isn't noticeably bulkier, you can't.

No one can say that Microsoft and Nokia aren't as desperate as a guy who looks like George R. R. Martin without the intelligence or fame. Offering hundreds of dollars to get people to switch, and based on the cost of camera tech, fitting a sensor THAT BIG into a cell phone is hugely expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if they were losing money on every phone they sell.

Combine that with 32gigs of storage, no unlimited data, no expandable storage and an app/game ecosystem that is really crappy.

I'm not saying it isn't an awesome phone, and doesn't have an amazing camera. But to not address its many issues is crazy. There's zero doubt that this is the best camera on any phone anywhere, I've seen the pictures. You'd have to be blind to not see how good the pictures are.

No matter what:

* The margins on this phone must be sliver thin, or they're going the Sony route and are losing money.

* The app/game selection is ridiculously small and limited.

* No expandable storage, and it tops out at 32gb in everywhere but what, the UK? With my iphone 5, I made the mistake of sticking with the 32gb model. It's incredibly easy to blow through storage when you start to add video. Considering the 64gb model can hold 6 hours of video, that's down to 3 on the 32gb model and is also considering there's nothing else on your device. Add in a few games and music and there goes your storage.

* Microsoft is seriously floundering in the mobile market. Their tablets and phones are not selling well, and they have no ecosystem to entice people in. Developers, like the ones who made their Shogun game exclusive to MS, despise working with them. Microsoft is notorious for being next to impossible to work with. They don't seem to care that they are driving potential developers away.

* Because the sensor is so incredibly massive, it creates a gargantuan bulge on the back, making it look like a slimmer version of the mirror less cameras.

Now before you automatically label me an Apple sheep, I've always professed my love for the design and build quality of Windows Phones. If all things were equal between Android and Windows Phones in terms of apps, I'd pick a windows phone every time.

But they aren't equal.

The "average person" is going to get a cheap android phone or an iPhone. This phone is designed for photogs who want a way to take awesome pictures on the go.

Does anyone really see this phone as the device that somehow rescues Nokia/MS from their slow death?

Last I checked, the comparison was only among the cameras and the image quality; and not on the phones themselves or the OS. And the Internet is pretty much unanimous that 1020's camera is the best among the smartphones currently, even compared to Sony's Z1. Don't believe them? Wait for DPReview's review of 1020 (I don't know if it's out yet). To be fair to Daniel, he did not sound like a fanboy and gave credit to the 5s in most places.

Having the best camera means squat if your phone is only able to do a fraction of its competitors, due to extremely poor app/game support.

If you actually read what I wrote, I make it abundantly clear that I know this camera is the best out there in pretty much every area. That doesn't make it a good choice overall. It's like having one of those bad ass in dash computer systems inside a stock 2003 Hyundai.

You're right. In all other aspects (OS feature list, app quality) 1020 or any WP8 device is inferior to iPhone. We all know that. But the comparison was only on the camera capabilities in which, as you agreed, 1020 is better than the other phones. Although calling it "extremely poor app support" is a little unfair, but that's your view. I respect that.

"extremely poor app/game support" is a bit hyperbolic this late in 2013. You can only make the "app gap" argument for so long.

I have and use both the 5S and Windows Phone products. The discrepancy between apps/games is diminishing each and every day. More so now that BB is pretty much done for. Developers were waiting to see which would be third, Windows Phone 8 or BB10. That argument is now settled and you'll see devs choosing a side now.

You truly sound like someone who only gets their Microsoft/Windows Phone news from Apple sites.

I've looked at the selection of the Windows Phone market recently, and barely a sliver of the main apps I use have a presence there.

Hell, I can barely find the kid/educational apps I want on Android, and even then it's almost always eons after they launch on the iPhone. With Windows Phone, it's even more of a gargantuan gap.

People talk here about "Oh there are 3rd party apps better than the first party apps!" sure, for some. But many people pick Instagram's official app because they trust it and they want the simplicity. If Windows Phone can't even easily get the big names like that, that says a lot. Sure, maybe the generic cereal has more marshmallows, but it's still generic.

Beyond the big apps, games are laughable. Even the games that do make their way over are having to deal with Microsoft's absolute crapshow of a review process. I have yet to see a single developer say they were happy to have gone with Windows Phone. And with hardware sales the way they are, why would any developer want to have to delve into yet FURTHER arcitecture. Windows Phone isn't even the Wii to the PS3/360, it's even a farther gap than that.

You say it all with your comment "and you'll see devs choosing a side now". It's all conjecture, and there is nothing that has ever happened which should give consumers pause to consider the device IF they want to have an ecosystem similar to even Android, which is still lagging behind iPhone for a great many things.

Sure, the gap is diminishing, but it's not doing so fast enough.

As for Microsoft in general, how you think they're actually doing well baffles me. Offering huge money to trade in Apple devices ALONE is a cry of desperation. Hell, I don't even think Samsung has gone to those lengths when they were trying to carve out their part of the pie. But combine that with the new Surface commercials that are so bad that they're laughable and you've got yet more examples as to how they're just begging for attention, hoping and praying that someone will look at them. Of course they make sure to not make it known that their 32 and 64gb devices only offer a slim fraction of that space, but hey you can add on a USB stick for expandable storage.

Maybe I sound like someone who only gets their news from Apple sites, but you sound like someone trying to desperately defend a sinking product that is throwing money at the problem, treating the symptoms and not the disease. It's like taking a dilapidated barn and prettying it up with awesome siding, specially designed Windows and sunroofs, but you come in side and realize it's still an empty, dilapidated barn on the inside.

Take that what you will. Respond if you want, but I'm done. At least I officially have nothing but time on my hands, shouldn't you be spending more time running your site than spending it arguing with random people on blogs?

Look here is another review you people act like it is so big of a difference first off megapixel are important when you blow up pictures . But here is another review it had side by side pics here is his comment
To sum that all up, in my tests the iPhone 5S iSight camera mostly provided better images across the board than the Nokia Lumia 1020 PureView camera, demonstrating that it really isn't only about megapixels when it comes to smartphone cameras. However, if you plan to blow up our images for printing, the Lumia 1020 high-resolution images will look better.

All of that said, I'm not sure I'll say that the iPhone 5S camera is "better" than the Lumia 1020 camera, because they each have lots of unique advance features that let you capture all kinds of cool images. But if you don't want to mess with all of those settings, and you mostly just use the auto mode on your smartphone, the iPhone camera will often outdo the Lumia's digital shooter.

Now it's clear you have no clue about what you are saying. You've obviously not read DPReview's review. Or GSMArena, or any other tech site for that matter. The 41mp isn't bout blowing up the photos. It's about lossless zooming. It's about taking better 5mp images than what the iPhone 5S can dream about. Even if you do not delve into the manual modes (even though Pro Cam makes it so easy to do so), in auto it will beat it in every situation i.e. more details, less noise etc etc. And the difference is very very large. There isn't a single situation in terms of image and video quality where the 5S will be close to the 1020.
Can you provide the the sample images from that test? The full-res and 5mp ones. All the tests I have mentioned have them. The reality distortion field is in full effect here.
Edit: Found it-http://www.cio.com/article/740194/Apple_iPhone_5S_vs._Nokia_Lumia_1020_W...
LOL. The author has 'amended' it after realizing what a blind idiot he was.
Blow up the samples and see for yourself. 1020 wins by a huge margin,everytime. And that's without any low-light tests which the author was too afraid to do ;)

Hi the 1020 picture file sizes actually (for the full size actually come in more around 9 to 10 megs on average rather than 16 megs. You can offload full size photos and keep the smaller ones that come in around 1 to to megs or smaller. You can upload full size to ATT locker.ATT was providing access 50gigs of space, manually move them over to your PC or Tablet via USB. And even, now that Windows 8.1 has integrated Skydrive into the OS and it is accessible via file explorer just like all the other files on the system, you can also "drag and drop" he large files to Skydrive. Manny Poole were grandfathered I with Skydrive and received 25gigs of space for free. Others have free 7gigs by default and recently Microsoft has offered to 20gigs free for a year.

So though storage can be an issue there are methods available to help manage it. Regarding the number of pixels, I encourage you to read the white paper for the Nokia Lumia 1020 for high delves into some of the tech behind him sensor.
jltechword.wordpress.com - It's Deeper Than the Specs

whoa! what a detailed comparison!
In most cases Lumia 1020 is a clear winner but those gorgeous panorama shots of iPhone 5s are mind-blasting! Nokia is still unbeatable in imaging technologies but Apple is surely catching up. Not much of a difference for the daily camera users.

That's it exactly. Even though I'd love to not have to lug my DSLR every way I go, having a higher spec quasi-pro camera in a phone that offers so little else isn't going to sway the masses.

The majority of the tech world echoes the fact that while the camera hardware is good, the rest of the phone can't keep up. The software is laggy and the CPU can't keep up. Crap, images that large still lag on some desktop computers!

The last comment I'd seen regarding the 1020 was that the sales were "decent". Seeing as they don't release numbers, there's no way to really know. But seeing as it's on only one carrier in NA, and is one of the higher priced phones with a smaller margin AND has recently had its price dropped, it's generally not a sign that sales are doing amazingly well.

The battle is between Apple and Samsung, not that different from the race for the presidency in the US. Even if Nokia does decently well, they'll still be Ross Perot. HTC is.... Kerry? McCain? Eh, whatever. You get where I'm coming from.

Keep underestimating the competition and you'll see where it lands you. People laughed at Android a lot over the years and now Samsung, despite selling an inferior product, is eating everyone's lunch.

Despite me giving high praise to the 5S some of you, very few of you actually, can't seem to accept the fact that Windows Phone (and Nokia in particular) can have advantages in certain areas over the iPhone.

If people are enjoying their phones, it doesn't diminish it when iPhone users try to knock 'em down. So Windows Phone isn't for you, that's fine, no one is trying to convince you to switch. But quit making this like it's black and white between the two OSs. It's not.

Sorry, you can try to bail water out of your sinking ship all you want, but the signs are there, clear as day. Microsoft throwing so much money at everything to try and get them "known".

The fact that they're shoehorning themselves into TV alone is a huge tell. Seriously, how much money do you think MS paid Hawaii 5-O to tout their "Skydrive" and the constant "Let me bing that!"

Even when Android was struggling, they never resorted to such desperate measures that are completely ineffectual, as though showing how "cool" skydrive is will be the tipping point.

Actually, there's one other company that does that in such an obvious and skeevy way, Kia. If I have to watch another episode of The Glades or whatever countless show that Kia has paid to shove in the mention of the cool features in a Kia.

It's not the 60s, or The Truman Show. That's not how you "get" people these days. It shows a total lack of self-awareness.

The only area that WP has over iPhone or Android is their camera quality. Just the other day, one of the WPC bloggers posted the reports about user experience, and how WP came in dead last. The entire article centered around they "Well, sure we see some of their points but otherwise they're totally wrong!" except they're not. The users are the ones who should be able to pick up their device and just experience it in a way that makes sense. Clearly WP doesn't feel that way to users. The fact that it ranked lower than Android? There's no leg to stand on here. WP doesn't even allow people to put apps in folders. Apple implemented this what, 3 years ago? It's one of the most moronic things about Windows 8, and it's no different here. The rest of the report speaks for itself. Argue all you or anyone else wants, but the users speak for themselves.

Windows 8 is a clear example that Microsoft doesn't know what it is doing right now. No one wants the new, idiotic start screen that is up there, and Microsoft is trying to be defiant in saying "No, you're doing it wrong, this way is better", something that only seems to work with Apple. It's a horrible change, and if I had to use my computer on a more regular basis, I would have thrown it out the window. My wife is the one who uses it more, and she never lets a day go by without reminding me how much she hates Windows 8.

Maybe you'll say that all of these things are not windows phone, but they are. Microsoft is trying to tell us "What works for mobile, totally works for here too!" It doesn't. Touchscreens on computers are gimmicks, plain and simple. Anyone who wants to use their monitor as a touch screen on a regular basis would be looking at a nice case of RSI, and as someone who works in ergonomics, it's absolutely terrible.

I don't doubt that some people enjoy their Windows Phone. If I had one, I probably would, too. As I've stated before here, and you've ignored, I would pick a Windows Phone over Android in terms of what I want from a device. But having been spoiled by my iPad and iPhone in the app department, Microsoft would have to move mountains to get onto the same playing field.

And Hardware Reviews are great, but meaningless if the software doesn't back it up. Of course Nokia makes amazing phones, they've been doing it longer than pretty much everyone out there. My first, second, third and... fourth cell phones were Nokia phones. So sure, their hardware is solid. But hardware is only a fraction of the overall picture. You're smart enough to know that.

The over arching point is that lumia 1020 is a great camera but that alone is not a worthy smartphone or platform to switch toward. Developers were not interested in BB nor will they be interested in Windows.

This was interesting reads. I for a moment taught I was back in high school and teenager debating which car is faster. The Mustang or the Camaro. I have been on crackberry for many years, and I have never seen a blogger being so passionate about defending his blog. All this is very simple. No body cares that people only swear by GMC or Dodge. But when it's time for a little device that will be great for years for surpass by new technology in 6-12 months is a bite ridiculous. Back to my car analogy, you can have the most HP on a car and when will you be using it ? how many people in this world that will by any camera with crazy amount of megapixel and will be doing something about it ? My opinion is a very small amount of people. The pro will keep buying DLSR and won't be buy any type of phone for a weeding pictures. So all this non-sense of my dad is stronger then yours is childish. I would prefer to read articles and blogs that say in YOUR DAY TO DAY here is why you should have this phone with those awesome quality on a camera. As of now I think everyone is mostly happy for what they are using their camera for. I would love to see a surveys about that.

I completely agree luc aubuchon with your notion that this blog was completely childish and down right laughably ridiculous. But from where I'm sitting I really do laugh at the apple fanboys, and agree with all the windows guys. Bruce wane 666 and Daniel are just trying to defend themselves from all the lies and deception the apple bloggers are posting so that unintelligent viewers are not manipulated into there persuasious deception. Whats SAD, is I have an Iphone 5. I'm an IPHONE USER, and I still without a doubt say the debate goes to windows here, hands down, and its because they didn't LIE, and they made reasonable arguments.

Now, that being said I am going to throw out an argument, I have the Iphone 5, loved it, best phone ever, never would change, but oh wait I was just forced to get a "new" GUI upgrade without my consent, ARE YOU SERIOUS! what happened to the easy user interfacing and the Picasso like design screens with clear cut space and direction on the touch screen so i know where to push my finger??????? Now I am stuck with this downgraded crap all white background that has no visual definity separating where I click my finger, I feel like this phone just was invented in the 1990s WTF APPLE!!??!!??!! not to mention the anorexic shitty font, and the completely backwards maps downgrade, I mean are you KIDDING ME! Apple you just may have lost half your entire customer base with the worst GUI system upgrade known to man. Its flat out terrible. If you would of just kept the same GUI and put the new features in I would stay apple4life, now im on the windows 1020 site debating to buy it. SO with the windows phone I can get the best camera in existence, the best word, power point, excel, etc. all on my phone, a semi ok user interface much better than the new iphone GUI system at least. SO, the lack of apps is a bit of a negative but nobody uses apps on there phone, yes they are nice to have, but all you need is chrome, facebook, a few youtube/video apps like abc.com to watch shows, netflix, and thats it. ill give you instagram yes but its really not thaaat bad in my opinion. Also, games, WHO plays video games on there phone, yes I do too but why would you ever play a game on your phone when you can play a real game on a computer or video game consol. i mean I neeevver play a game on my phone unless i was stranded on a desert island or trapped in an elevator without a laptop. SOO, in my opinion, because i hate the new apple GUI more than life itself, and so does over 50% of current apple iphone users, this opens the doors to other options and why im here doing my research on whether I should pick up a cool new bad ass camera phone, go for the higher powered android, or play around with some fun new features on samsung because I like the quality of samsung and I always have.